honor award The Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox * Spokane, WA Architect: Theatre Consultant: Acoustician: Completed: Construction Cost: NAC Architecture Cosler Theatre Design Jaffe Holden Acoustics 2007 $15.5 million (est.) The original Fox Theater opened in 1931 was an art deco moviehouse that could seat 2,300. Its construction included a stagehouse, orchestra pit, and dressing rooms. Inside were ornate murals that covered the walls and ceilings of the lobby and auditorium. by the seventies, attendance had dropped and the balcony was divided into two smaller theatres to create a triplex. A fundraising campaign by private donors and the Spokane Symphony saved the building from demolition in 2000 and started its restoration back to a theatre. The renovated Martin Woldson Theater seats 1,600 and is home to the Spokane Symphony. Renovations included redesigning 20 theatre design & technology S U M M E R 2009 the balcony for live performance sightlines and modern building code requirements. The art deco murals were restored, as was the original painted fire curtain. Retail space that surrounded the theatre was transformed to create dressing rooms and other back-of-house functions, including a loading dock for visiting productions. listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the jury was impressed with the attention to detail shown in the Fox Theater. "The Fox is an example of historic preservation at its finest. Meticulous work was done to restore its art deco detailing and uncover the original murals' splendor."